


I Want To Grow Old

by Dolimir



Category: Smallville
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-25
Updated: 2011-09-25
Packaged: 2017-10-24 01:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/257176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolimir/pseuds/Dolimir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark contemplates growing older after his vision of the future with Cassandra.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Want To Grow Old

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Rhiannonhero's "The Cure" Challenge.  
> Requirements:  
> 1\. Pick any song by The Cure as the title for your story.  
> 2\. Incorporate three lines from the song into the fic. ... Song fics or having the characters listen to the song do not meet the challenge. ... The lyrics cannot be changed in any way, so if they are in first person, they must be used in first person.  
> 3\. Bonus Points are awarded for making the fic match the mood of the song.

_"What if it is my destiny? To outlive everyone I love? I don't wannna be alone!"_

Clark rested the back of his head against the wood frame of the loft's door. Was immortality just another one of his gifts? What good were his abilities if he couldn't save those he cared about? If they were all doomed to grow old and die while he remained in his prime?

"A penny for your thoughts," a quiet voice interrupted his solitude.

Clark looked over his shoulder to find Lex at the top of the stairs. He sighed, figuring of all the people he knew, Lex would probably fight death the hardest. "Are you afraid of growing old?" he blurted, with no preamble.

Lex raised a curious eyebrow then closed the distance between them and settled on the other side of the opening. Instead of peppering Clark with questions, he simply shook his head. "No, I intend to embrace my dotage."

"What?"

"Death is inevitable, but I've already cheated it twice, what with the meteor and my drowning. To me, old age will mean I ultimately triumphed over the obstacles life put in my way."

"But old age seems like such an indignity."

"It's all in the perception, Clark. Try looking at people's infirmities as badges of honor."

Clark eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"

 _"I want my legs to ache."_

"Why?"

"Because it'll be evidence of how far I've come, of the obstacles I've climbed over in order to achieve my goals." Lex flashed him a mischievous grin. " _I want false teeth_ so I can look back and remember all the rich foods I ate."

"You're crazy." Clark laughed, good-naturedly.

" _I want to be senile, a centigenarian fool_ and drive everyone crazy because I keep escaping my safe life and go looking for adventures. But most of all, _I want to be ignored._

"Why?" Clark asked in soft horror.

"So I can just enjoy being me, and not some mogul-in-the-making. Not the billionaire's son or even the billionaire. I want to be just Lex."

"And you think you can't be just Lex now?"

Lex smiled sadly. "It's complicated." He patted Clark's leg once. "So why all the self-introspection?"

"I don't want to be left alone."

Lex was silent for a moment. "You mean after everyone else grows old and dies?"

Clark nodded miserably.

"You let Ms. Carver read you, didn't you?"

Clark sighed heavily.

"And she predicted you'd outlive everyone you knew?"

"I was surrounded by graves. Mom's. Dad's. Chloe's. Lana's. Pete's."

"Mine?"

Clark blinked in surprise. "No, yours wasn't there."

"Well, there you go."

"What?"

"You won't be completely alone then, that is if you don't mind hanging out with an old man with achy joints, no teeth, and who plots escapes from nursing homes on a regular basis."

"I won't mind."

"Because I predict that our relationship is going to last a millennium."

"And be the stuff of legends?" Clark smiled, repeating the words his friend once gave him.

"Guaranteed, Clark. Guaranteed."


End file.
